MACON, Ga. — Believe it or not, as February begins, so do balls and strikes.
College baseball is just days away, and the Mercer Baseball team is welcoming the new season with their 12th annual First Pitch Classic at Hawkins Arena.
13WMAZ's Frank Malloy introduced the guest speaker of the night, Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith. Smith was a star Major League Baseball shortstop for nearly 20 years, earning his most fame with the St. Louis Cardinals.
"The Wizard of Oz" was a 15-time All-Star NL MVP and World Series champion during his career. He shared many stories with the crowd, explaining that he did the very best he could each day he was on the diamond.
"The answer for 19 years was, 'Yes.' Now, that doesn't mean I won or we won all the time, but I knew when I left that ballpark at night that I left everything I had on the field. I gave it everything I had. By doing that, I know I didn't cheat myself or the the people that came out to see me every day," Smith said.
Smith was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mercer Baseball opens their season with weekend series beginning February 14 at OrthoGeorgia Park hosting Maryland Eastern Shore.
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